According to the Department of Labor there are 13
million administrative assistant related jobs in the
U.S. Those dedicated individuals deserve to be
celebrated for the support they offer companies all
across the nation. Administrative Professional Week is
celebrated the last week of April, with the day being
observed on the Wednesday of the given week. The
recognition of these behind the seen workers grows every
year. They are one of the many unsung heroes of the
labor force in America. Let’s show them our appreciation
and make this year’s Administrative Professional Week
and Day special for all the Administrative Assistants
and Secretaries. Whether they are friends, employees or
spouses help show your appreciation for all their hard
work. Here are a few ways how.

Send flowers to
them at the office. They can enjoy the scent and beauty
for days reminding them of the recognition they have
received for all their hard work.

Tuition
Reimbursement for anyone who is furthering their
education for their present career is a generous and
appreciative gift.

Free Lunch or Dinner is always
appreciated. Free lunches and dinner could include a
group outing, an office party in the office
cafeteria/lunch room or a gift certificate to a favorite
restaurant.

Box of Chocolates – Need I say more?
Who couldn’t resist a box of chocolate gourmet truffles?
This is a good gift suggestion for those with many
assistants and on a budget. You can inexpensive boxed
chocolates in local grocery stores to gift basket
websites.

Gift Baskets are among one the more
popular gift choices and for good reasons. Gift baskets
can be customized to fit an individual’s taste or can be
given to a large group to share. Either way, gift
baskets always make great gifts. For group baskets, try
snack gift baskets, fruit baskets, cookie bouquets or
candy bouquets. They look great and come with variety so
that everyone is satisfied. Individual gift baskets can
range from bath and body gifts, wine baskets, Thank You
themed baskets or gourmet gift baskets.

Another
stand out appreciation gift would be a plaque. A plaque
is a nice personalized gift that is sure to make any
assistant feel special and appreciated. This is also a
gift that can be hung in the office and admired all year
round.

Whether you choose any of these gift ideas
or not, please remember to celebrate Administrative
Professionals Week. The work force wouldn’t be the same
without them. More importantly, your company, office,
job, life wouldn’t be the same without them.

Professional
Wrestling - How To Participate Or Watch From Afar

One of the most popular forms of sports
entertainment, in the world, is that of wrestling.
Attracting the attention of millions of fans,
professional wrestling is a combination of successful
merchandising and televised events.

wrestling,sport,sports,woman,wwe,wrestler

One of
the most popular forms of sports entertainment, in the
world, is that of wrestling. Attracting the attention of
millions of fans, professional wrestling is a
combination of successful merchandising and televised
events.

World Wrestling Entertainment, also
known as WWE, is the major powerhouse in the world of
professional wrestling. Athletes aim for stardom as the
compete in the sport’s largest organization. A number of
wrestling schools, throughout America, train athletes to
perfect the art of the sport, the maneuvers and even may
help to provide placement for their most talented
performers.

Individuals interested in training
for professional wrestling may decide to call the
organization that they eventually hope to work for, such
as WWE, and ask for a list of wrestling schools that
they scout. If there is a school that the company
endorses, athletes may benefit from attending the
recommended wrestling school in order to improve their
chances of stardom.

Wrestling training centers
can be expensive depending upon the amount of time spent
training and the skill level. An amateur wrestler would
be likely to spend more on wrestling training than an
intermediate or advanced athlete. A series of weight
training, workout regimens, diet regimens and actual
ring practice can be expected during wrestling training.
The schedules are demanding and the tasks exhausting,
but training centers offer the best look at what a
wrestling lifestyle is all about.

For those who
prefer to watch from afar, and not actually be a part of
the action, the sidelines are the best seat in the
house. Televised tapings are held throughout the country
with visits to stadiums and venues in almost every
state. In addition, autograph events are frequently held
in order to allow fans to meet their favorite wrestling
superstars up-close and personal.

Wrestling is a
form of sports entertainment like no other. The fanfare,
lights, music and outlandish characters make wrestling
what it is today. A combination of gymnastic moves,
extensive training and dedication are required of all
wrestling superstars. At each event, the athletes strive
to provide a quality performance and one that fans will
enjoy until the last minute. To garner even more
excitement, the annual superbowl of wrestling, known as
Wrestlemania, is held as a live pay-per-view event each
year. A treat for fans and a test of skill to wrestling
superstars, Wrestlemania offers some of the wildest,
most exciting events of the year.

How to Proofread
Like a Professional

Most of us know how to read and write but
do we write - right? Naturally, in this case 'right'
means properly but in some contexts that might be hard
to catch - especially if you've been writing all day.
Proofreaders can be expensive but read on for some tips

business consultant, business coaching, small
business management, entrepreneur, increase profits

Copyright 2006 Jaya Schillinger

Even as I
wrote the title for this article, I got confused. Is
"proofread" one word or two? I thought it was two, and
my spell checker didn't have a problem with that, but
when I double-checked myself with a popular on- line
dictionary, I was able to catch my mistake. Proofread is
in fact one word, "proof•read v. tr. To read (copy or
proof) in order to find errors and mark corrections."

I'm not a grammarian or editor by any stretch of the
definition, but I do get some practice through
proofreading my own writing as well as my clients. One
of the value-added services I include in my business
coaching packages is email support where I'll do a quick
proofing of my clients' ad copy or important documents.
So while I'm not a qualified copy editor/writer, I have
noticed some common mistakes that slip past the typical
business owner's own proofreading.

Here are a few
things I've learned along the way:

1. People will
skip over your copy if it's hard to read. The human
brain will avoid things that are perceived as difficult.
It's that simple. So the most compelling reason to
proofread with a fine-tooth comb is this: If you want
people to read your copy, you must make it easy.

2. Mistakes stand out more than the good copy that
surrounds them. It's sort of like having a large food
stain on your shirt. Most people will notice the stain,
maybe even wonder what you had for lunch, and few will
notice how lovely your shirt is otherwise.

3. Do
it yourself, but also get a second opinion. Most small
business owners are tight on cash, so hiring a
professional editor (+$30/hour) isn't always feasible.
Ask your coach, your partner, or a friend to read over
your materials, particularly if they're going off to a
paper & ink printer where mistakes can be costly.

4. Take a break from writing before you proofread.
When you're writing, all the content and ideas are
already in your head. If you go straight into
proofreading, there's a natural bias toward reading your
intended meaning into the copy, instead of scanning it
for errors.

5. Get it off the computer screen and
print it out. This step is essential for printed
materials so you can check the actual size & layout for
readability. It's also helpful for when you're tired of
the glaring screen. Try printing your copy with double
spaces and using a colored marker for notations.

6. Spell checking with your computer isn't enough. Many
words sound similar but have different meanings, and
spell check won't catch it. This is especially true if
English is your 2nd language. An accent or slang can be
charming when spoken, but can look incompetent when
written.

7. Read your copy out loud. This is a
great way to double check your sentence structure. If it
feels awkward to speak, it's probably just as awkward to
read.

8. Choose fonts that are easy to read. For
paragraph text, use fonts of at least 10pts. Stick with
basic fonts like Arial or Times New Roman that most
computers or internet browsers can display properly. If
you want to have fun with stylized fonts, save them for
your headlines.

9. Keep your alignment tidy. Left
alignment is always easy to read. Center alignment looks
best for short bits of text, but looks terrible with
bulleted lists or long paragraphs. If you want text in
the center of the page, but that still looks neat, try
using left alignment but then increase the line indent.

10. Use a consistent capitalization style. There are
3 basic capitalization styles: ALL CAPS; no caps; and
First Letter Caps. Switching styles within copy looks
jumbled and confusing. It's ok to have a different style
in the headers vs. the text, but all headers should be
the same, just as all text should be the same.

11. Hyphens that result from line breaks should be
avoided. Adjust your text box size, move a graphic, try
justifying the alignment, do whatever it takes to get
rid of any hyphens that cut words in half because it
disrupts flow and makes your copy hard to read.

12. Use bullets, lists, and blank rows for easier
reading. Most people skim instead of actually reading
every word. Break up your text into bite-size pieces for
stronger impact. Another way to make reading easier is
to limit your paragraph width to 65 characters/line
(about the width of this article.)

13.
Punctuation should support your ideas, not distract.
Commas are a way to express your thoughts in sets, such
as this idea, that idea, and that other idea. Without
punctuation what you get is a run on and on and on some
more sentence. (See what I mean?) Also, use exclamation
points sparingly, if at all. Exclamation points can be
tacky!!! Try italics instead.

Most people will
forgive the occasional typo, especially with informal
communications like email. But if you're trying to make
a favorable impression as a way to build your business
credibility, do whatever it takes to get your copy
proofread first. Remember, it's not just what you say,
but how you say it that counts, and that goes double for
whatever you put into writing